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Macallan unveils Rare Cask Black MOP editionBy Kristiane Sherry
Edrington Global Travel Retail (GTR) has released a Macallan Rare Cask Black limited edition in partnership with Steven Klein as part of its Masters of Photography series.
While the lightly smoky, Sherry cask-matured Macallan Rare Cask Black liquid remains unchanged, the new presentation box features Klein’s visual interpretation of the Scotch whisky.
The pack previews a new project from the photographer and filmmaker, which seeks to capture moments in time through his “disruptive” perspective.
In addition, the pack contains an Ice Baller Double from US-based ice firm WinterSmiths, said to be the “world’s first” gadget of its type to produce crystal clear ice spheres, a Macallan signature.
“Rare Cask Black has clearly made its mark since launch last year,” said Tellis Baroutsis, managing director, Edrington GTR.
“It has captured people’s imagination around the world with its distinctive look and unexpected flavour. By releasing a limited edition of Rare Cask Black, married with the challenging vision of Steven Klein and ‘at home’ ice baller, we believe this is a truly compelling combination.”
The Rare Cask Black edition, containing the 48% abv whisky and the ice baller, is limited to 5,000 bottles in global travel retail, and is priced at US$495. The presentation is available now from selected key airports.


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Grand Opening at the Beijing Woodwork Fair
The 16th International Exhibition on Woodworking Machinery and Furniture Manufacturing Equipment and The International Exhibition on Woodworking Machinery Supplies and Accessories (or now known as Beijing Woodwork Fair) commenced today in Beijing, People’s Republic of China. It is one of the largest woodworking machinery shows in Asia.
The four-day show will see a line-up of esteem key players in the industry including the State Forestry Administration, P.R. China, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, China Intenational Exhibition Center Group Corporation, China National Forestry Machinery Association, China Building Decoration Association and Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd. The event was also graced by local and regional leaders and consulate officials; from Royal Embassy of Kingdom Saudi Arabia, Beijing General Secretary of EUMABOIS, chairman of Qingdao Woodworking Machinery Association to chairman of Lunjiao Woodworking Machinery Assocication and more.
World-class woodworking technological showcase
Beijing Woodwork Fair 2016 features more than 430 exhibitors at the 55,000sqm area. The fair is expected to draw 30,000 visitors from across the globe with a focus on smart manufacturing – showcasing the latest intelligent and green woodworking machines, technologies and solutions to assist woodworking and furniture enterprises in achieving environmental-friendly and sustainable production at a reduced cost.
The success of the previous shows have attracted international pavilions including VDMA, IEC, Berlin together with Qingdao Woordworking Machinery Association, Shanghai Woodworking Machinery and Lunjiao Woodworking MAchinery Association.
The 2016 show also features six categorised zones; ‘Automation and CNC Machinery Zone’, ‘Furniture Making and Wooden Products Machinery’, ‘Machinery for Green Production and Energy Saving/Machinery for the First Time Processing, Drying, Coating and Material Making’, ‘Panel Board Machinery’, ‘Knives, Blades and Machinery Accessories/ Hand Tools’ and ‘Engraving Machinery’.
Highlights of the show
Homag, Homag China, Linze, Yuton, Weinig, Unisunx and more will be showcasing software and equipment inalignment, which are in line with the theme of smart manufacturing. One of programmes includes a demonstration on ‘Woodshop software’ by Homag China. It involves 3D simulation sand automatic calculation of the cost in designing and producing a wardrobe. In addition, another demonstration would be on a complete wardrobe production cycle – from design, order placement, production to packaging software such as WCC, CutRite and I-Share.
Biesse will also showcase the CNC machine model, Rover Gold, which has a flexible design and is highly appliacable to different production line. The company will also be exhibiting the sanding machine which is tailored for solid wood furniture.
“Children’s Funiture Forum”, which was held in the morning and hosted by Beijing Woodwork Fair and China Building Decoration Association, received a warm response.
Some key speakers to note during the show include Mr. Raymond Shan (Principal Consultant from Smart Manufacturing & Materials Division of Hong Kong Productivity Counil) and Prof. Dr. Wu Zhihui (Dean from College of Furniture and Industrial Design of Nanjing Forestry University). They will be discussing about the global trend in woodworking industry and analyse how China is cementing her place among the world’s leading manufacturing players. The talk is titled “German Industry 4.0 & Made in China 2015 Conference”.
Three other symposiums taking palce on 2nd June are Technical Talk on Energy Saving Panel Board Production Technology, Green Furniture Future Sustanable Development Conference and The 3rd WMF-CRIWI Forum – The New Face of Panel Board. These talks brings about an in-depth discussion about the transformation of the panel board industry and the guidelines to achieve long-term sustainable development.
The 25th WBCP Plenary Meeting and Chinese Water-based Paint Production Forum can be attended on 3rd June and the D.I.Y. Wood Workshop will be held throughout the four days to provide an ideal platform for skill and experience exchange.

domain: news


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Volunteers pack 2,800 meals for food shelves
Think healthy eating has to be expensive? Think again.
That's the message received by the more than 75 volunteers who helped pack 2,800 meals for local food shelves on June 1.
The healthy meal packs included black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, chicken and a bag of brown rice. The packs also included education on healthy eating on a budget and recipes using the ingredients in the meal pack.


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The Philippines can officially lay claim to becoming the first Asian nation to export bananas to the US, the Business Inquirer reports.
The first shipment of highland Cavendish variety, grown in Bukidnon, arrived at the Port of Long Beach in Los Angeles County on 9 September.
The shipment comprised of seven metric tonnes, part of the planned 3,000 metric tonnes the US intends to import from the Philippines for 2013.
“We’re excited to see our very own bananas in grocery stores in California soon,” Hellen Barber-de la Vega, the Philippines’ Consul General, told the Business Inquirer after she inspected the products at the ripening warehouse at the weekend. “We waited eight years for this to happen.”
The bananas are scheduled to be distributed to large retailers as early as this Friday 20 September.
“We’re just waiting for confirmation from the distributor,” Barber-de la Vega said.
“With this shipment, we are hopeful that Philippine bananas would be able to find and satisfy a niche in the competitive US banana market,” the Philippines’ ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr. added.
The southeast Asian nation first sought US market access some eight years ago.
The highland Cavendish bananas were exported by Dole Philippines to Dole Food Company and shipped from the Mindanao International Container Terminal in Tagoloan on 20 August.


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As had been expected based on the series of recent Twitter teases from Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon, Netherealm Studios and Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment have officially announced Mortal Kombat X today, a 10th game in the long running fighting series.
“Mortal Kombat is our acclaimed, world-renowned franchise and we are now advancing the fighting genre with Mortal Kombat X,” said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “NetherRealm Studios is best in class at delivering games fans love and they are taking their iconic brand to the next level with Mortal Kombat X."
“Mortal Kombat has always been about over-the-top, visceral fighting and with Mortal Kombat X we wanted to utilise the power of new-gen consoles to give players our most intense game yet,” said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios. “The team has worked hard to make sure Mortal Kombat X delivers everything fans expect along with new characters, new game modes and an all new graphics engine.”
Mortal Kombat X combines cinematic presentation with all new gameplay to deliver the most brutal Kombat experience ever, offering a new fully-connected experience that launches players into a persistent online contest where every fight matters in a global battle for supremacy. For the first time, Mortal Kombat X gives players the ability to choose from multiple variations of each character impacting both strategy and fighting style. Players step into an original story showcasing some of the game’s most prolific characters including Scorpion and Sub-Zero, while introducing new challengers that represent the forces of good and evil and tie the tale together.
A cinematic teaser trailer was also released to get us all in the Lin Kuei spirit, with series mainstays Scorpian and Sub Zero duking it out in CG. Actual gameplay is expected to be revealed during E3 in a couple of weeks.
Mortal Kombat X is in the works for PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 for 2015.


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You wouldn’t imagine heroin dealers offering junkies a less addictive vintage of smack.
So it’s with some surprise that we report on a new initiative designed to help people realise how much time they are wasting, sorry, spending on Facebook.1,000,000 people could lose jobs this year as unemployment hits 7.5%
Zuckerberg’s life-munching social network is working on a ‘Time Well Spent’ feature which shows your usage over the past week.
It was discovered by Jane Manchun Wong, who found the code hidden in Facebook’s Android app.
The social network later confirmed the feature.
‘We’re always working on new ways to help make sure people’s time on Facebook is time well spent,’ Facebook told Tech Crunch.
Silicon Valley is now racing to help people kick their tech addictions, with Apple recently unveiling a range of new features which will help tech addicts shake off the iPhone-shaped monkey on their back.
As part of its new iOS 12 software that powers the iPhone and iPad, a new feature called Screen Time will send users weekly reports on how they are using their device to show them what is distracting them.
The technology giant said the feature will also send parents reports from their children’s phones and set time limits on app usage.
Speaking during the firm’s annual WWDC conference in San Jose, Apple’s Craig Federighi said it was important to sometimes ‘stop distractions’ triggered by smartphone use.


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It’s no surprise that customers expect personalization and a smooth buying experience on their phones. From a marketer’s perspective, providing this to customers is the bare minimum. As a marketing channel, mobile continues to mature. There are certain thresholds still being crossed. For instance, this was the first year that mobile purchases overtook desktop buying on Amazon Prime Day.
Every consumer is aware of the convenience that shoppers find on phones while out on the road or lounging on the couch. But there are subtle shifts in behavior that marketers leverage, depending on how likely users are to download an app or text message a brand. For instance, one emerging channel, or sub-channel within mobile, that DMN reported on is web browser push.
Mobile marketing platform Vibes has been keeping tabs on these changes, having recently completed their fourth annual U.S. Mobile Consumer Report.
For marketers devoted to loyalty, some of the mobile report findings might not be too surprising. But perhaps in 2019, they are important to note. Eighty-five percent of consumers surveyed said they are more likely to choose a store with a reward program over those without one. How many retailers don’t have a rewards program? The way to loyalty in the mobile era is through the phone. The top two ways shoppers will receive loyalty promotions in the next 12 months, they say, are through coupons and rewards sent directly to the customer’s phone.
Vibes CMO Sophie Vu told me, “Mobile sales continue to increase each year, and the experience is pretty seamless now. At the same time, there a lot of offers, and consumers are savvy enough to pick and choose the best experience. Loyalty is very elusive, and everybody is offering a frictionless experience, so consumers can be choosy. Brands have to realize consumers are going to be that way.”
Vibes found that almost two thirds of consumers are interested in saving their loyalty cards to their smartphone, making the phone the point of access for shoppers on the go.
Mobile messaging offers dual incentives
Mobile messaging, although it’s been around for a long time, is growing among loyalty programs. Consumers wouldn’t have thought to give out their cell phone number to a brand, but loyalty provides the incentive, so long as it’s an opt-in that provides real value. Thirty-two percent of users who subscribed to a brand’s mobile messaging did so because of a loyalty program. A quarter of them subscribed for coupons or other incentives like special dales promotions and deals. Product updates and exclusive content were also reasons for subscribing, for 10 and six percent of subscribers, respectively. Twenty percent of respondents didn’t subscribe to any mobile messaging.
Vu points to the declining open rates for emails as an incentive for brands to boost their mobile messaging. Data on consumer behavior helps personalize the experience to make messaging and timing relevant.
“How can a brand adjust to consumer preferences?” she asked. “Mobile is a good example of that. It not only gets consumers’ attention, but that attention is very unique because it messages them at the right time, when they prefer. With SMS and mobile wallet, mobile is that channel that allows consumers to choose when and how they want to be engaged. Mobile gives you that engagement.”
Stay relevant to maintain engagement
Relevance is a key factor in the success of keeping that engagement. The Vibes study found that 86 percent of unsubscribers pull the plug because messaging was irrelevant or simply because there were too many messages. Also, 34 percent attributed their unsubscribe to “bad timing.”
Vu finds that mobile wallets provide a sweet spot between email and apps, for consumers to conveniently access loyalty rewards and other brand messages. The use of mobile wallets has increased from 22 percent in 2018, to 28 percent this time around. This development has brands looking at Apple Pay and Google Pay intently. Overall, 71 percent of respondents said they were interested in trying out mobile wallet. But about two thirds of respondents who haven’t also say that they have security concerns or don’t know how to use a mobile wallet.
The takeaway is that education will be a key to further adoption, since interest is reportedly high. Last year, nearly half of those surveyed said they weren’t interested in using mobile wallet. This year, the number is down to 37 percent.
One key breakthrough area, or “proof point,” for mobile wallet users is in air travel. One-tap payments for mobile wallet users has risen to 75 percent – but among non-paying use cases, 25 percent use it for storing a boarding pass to get on a plane.


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You'd think they would.
You see Susan G. Komen for the Cure is a charity set up in 1982 in memory of breast cancer victim Susan G. Komen. According to their website they've raised over $1.5 billion for the fight against breast cancer.
So why would I suggest they don't understand breast cancer? Simple. For this year's runs they've teamed up with KFC in their, "Buckets for the Cure" campaign. By teaming up with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, KFC is able to advertise their buckets of chicken as a tool in the fight against breast cancer - something that will likely drive sales of deep-fried chicken as well as help with their corporate image. A whole 50 cents from every pink bucket sold will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure with a minimum KFC contribution of $1 million.
For KFC this is an incredible coup. Not only is this a feel-good cause but they're likely to make a fortune off of it. KFC hopes to donate $8.5 million to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and by my calculations that'll mean the sale of 17 million pink buckets of chicken.
17 million pink buckets containing 255 million pieces of deep-fried chicken, and I imagine that along with the 17 million pink buckets KFC will sell at least 34 million medium orders of fries, 17 million orders of gravy and 17 million orders of a KFC "salad".
So in effect Susan G. Komen for the Cure is helping to sell deep fried fast food and in so doing, helping to fuel unhealthy diets and obesity across America, an odd plan given that diet and obesity certainly impact on both the incidence and recurrence of breast cancer.
According to the helpful summary found at the National Cancer Institute, obesity increases the relative risk of developing post menopausal breast cancer by 50%. They also report that maintaining a body mass index of 25 could prevent 11,000 to 18,000 deaths per year from breast cancer in U.S. women over age 50, that breast cancer is more likely to be detected at a later stage in obese women than in lean women, and that weight gain during adulthood has been found to be the most consistent and strongest predictor of breast cancer risk in studies in which it has been examined.
It would be one thing if KFC simply handed over a cheque to Susan G. Komen for the Cure in the amount of $8.5 million - that'd be incredibly generous and welcome. However it's quite another thing for Susan G. Komen for the Cure to sell their name to KFC and allow them to use it to encourage the consumption of high calorie, high sodium fast food and the promotion of a lifestyle that increases the risk of not only breast cancer, but a myriad of diet and weight related illnesses. That's just reprehensible.
Shame on you Susan G. Komen for the Cure, surely you know better and yet you've chosen greed over responsibility.
Want to tell Susan G. Komen for the cure to stop "pinkwashing" KFC? You can send them a note with just a few simple clicks.
(Below is KFC's TV spot showing how they're using this partnership to sell goodwill and bad chicken - email subscribers will have to head to the blog to watch)
[Hat tip to my friend Julie from Dinner with Julie]


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Oversupply and contraband sugar seems to have now crippled the domestic sugar industry.
|Farmers harvest sugarcanes to deliver to sugar companies (Photo : SGGP)|
The Vietnam Sugar Cane Association said the sugarcane sector is expected to produce some 1.6 million tons of sugar this year plus stockpile over 370,000 tons and import around 70,000 tons, totaling around 2 million tons, which exceeds total demand of 600,000 kilograms.
However, due to smuggled sugar of 300,000 tons per year infiltrating the market, oversupply is becoming a serious issue.
Most of the sugar in stockpile is refined sugar for food production.
Oversupply and slow consumption has dragged down prices and domestic sugar price has dropped to only VND15,000 a kg.
Nguyen Thanh Long, Chairman of Vietnam Sugar Cane Association, said firms must buy at VND830,000 to VND850,000 per ton which can bring profits for farmers. With this price, firms have to sell at VND15,000 a kilogram, yet the price is on a downward trend.
Le Xuan Quang, Director of La Nga Sugarcane Company complained that firms must maintain the high prices to keep farmers continue cultivation but companies suffer heavy losses with such high prices.
Do Thanh Liem, Director of Khanh Hoa Sugar Company, said smuggled sugar has hurt the domestic industry as it fetches only VND 12,800 a kilogram. If sugar companies reduce price to compete with smuggled sugar, they are compelled to buy sugarcane at VND700,000 a kilogram, it will result in a larger area of sugarcane cultivation being switched to planting different crops and sugar sector will be on the brink of collapse.
Subbaiah, Director of KPC Company Vietnam, said that with current widespread smuggling of sugar, the government should cut the Value Added Tax down zero percent to this sector; ban on temporary import and re export in order to prevent tax evasion cases.


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The latest entry into Toronto’s mobile phone service is set to launch tomorrow and the head of Mobilicity says the company will offer simple, inexpensive plans.
With prices starting at $25 per month for unlimited local calls, company president Dave Dobbin says the target market is high-volume users with low to medium income who live in ethnically diverse communities.
Mobilicity also appears to be targeting younger users, with a $15 per month plan strictly for unlimited text.
“There is a reason 30 per cent of Canadians don’t have a mobile phone — because they can’t afford it,” said Dobbin.
Mobilicity has been the most guarded of the junior players in Canada’s mobile phone market including already launched WIND Mobile and Public Mobile, expected to launch before months end. They join the dominant players in the market, Bell Canada, Telus Corp. and Rogers Communications Inc. They join the dominant players in the market, Bell Canada, Telus Corp. and Rogers Communications Inc.
And while Dobbin insists they are targeting a different market than that of the big three, he is expecting an immediate competitive reaction.
“I think our offer is very, very compelling … (but) what the reaction will be I don’t know.”
But he notes that customers who want to download massive files, travel internationally for business and download peer-to-peer are not their target.
“We are not allowing peer-to-peer traffic on our network — we are blocking it,” he said.
Mobilicity’s plans start at $15, strictly for unlimited text and go up in $10 increments to $65, for unlimited global texts, voicemail, North American long distance and data, for users within the GTA footprint. The $25 rate, which includes unlimited local talk, is marketed as the replacement for land lines.
“We did everything we could to eliminate bill surprise,” said Dobbin. They are also offering two unlimited international calling plans for $20, to East Asia and South Asia.
Phone prices range from $99.99 for the Totem and Sony Ericsson TM506, to $499.99 for the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Mobilicity will also offer, the Nokia 5230, Huawei U7519 and HTC Snap.
WIND Mobile has also targeted the 30 per cent of Canadians without cellphones but the company is a bit more overt about their plans to also lure customers from incumbents, with offers for 50 per cent off voice and data plan for the first six months if customers switch.
Dobbin is counting on what he describes as a simpler offer and broader distribution to set them apart from WIND.
“We are in community, we have got ten times the number of distribution locations across the GTA than they do,” he said.
At launch Saturday they will operate about 35 Mobilicity stores and will sell phones through close to 200 authorized dealers across the GTA. The majority will be set up outside Toronto’s core with most outside of the mall settings favoured by incumbents, said Dobbin. Plans for expansion could include up to 350 total locations within the next few months, he added.
Public Mobile, which opened stores in March and has said service will launch this month, has also targeted low- to middle-income market, in ethnically diverse pockets of urban centres, offering incentives like free unlimited Canadian long distance.
As for Mobilicity’s coverage, Dobbin says that mobile coverage reliability inside the GTA is at 95 per cent.
On Wednesday, the Star spent part of the day with Dobbin, sitting in on a staff meeting, walking a roof to check out cellphone towers and visiting a new store.
At one point during a drive on Highway 407, Dobbin had only one hand on the wheel of his dark four-door Volkswagen.
“Five bars,” he said, displaying the strong signal on face of the Nokia phone he has been relentlessly testing in preparation for the company launch.
The afternoon started at the company’s headquarters at Jane St. and the 407. Mobilicity has a ‘no corner office’ policy, placing everyone in cubicle type seating arrangements. And everyone has a clear view of the digital clock tracking the seconds to the official launch.
Operations were purposely kept lean, with a focus on outsourcing to cut costs. Ericsson is managing their 3.5G network and Amdocs Ltd. is handling IT infrastructure and billing services. Call centre services are run out of St. Catharines.
“Our relentless focus is being the low cost operator,” said Dobbin, who runs the company with a staff of 180, which will eventually increase to about 400.
Deals with everyone from operators from advertisers were structured to reflect that approach. “We are all in it together to make money.”
And with Dobbin admits he is “gob-smacked” that with pricing plans locked for several months they managed to remain leak free.


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Transcript for Furniture, toys and clothes subject to new 10% tax on Chinese goods
says he wasn't to work. He was one of four to condemn president trump's tweet targeting women of color. The Dow down more than 70 points in just the past five days, and tonight, China saying they are not afraid of a fight. But American consumers could pay the price. A higher one in fact. Here is ABC's Rebecca Jarvis tonight. Reporter: Tonight, the cost of those tariffs set to take effect next month. China going to retaliate. Smartphones, furniture, toys, and clothes coming from China to the U.S. Subject to a new 10% tax, paid to U.S. Customs by U.S. Businesses when the goods enter our country. While most companies believe something should be done to level the playing field, many warning customers will bear the burden. Foot weir will bear the burden. Some running sneakers could spike from $150 to more than $187. iPhones could see prizes rise $10 if apple decides to pass the cost to consumers. It will be a tough sell with corporate America saves about $100 billion a year because of tax cuts. Either way, it hits bottom line. All right, thank you on a Friday night. In other news here tonight, the trump administration is
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.


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With the wider scale revival of vinyl over the past few years, the BPI is predicting that sales of the format will exceed four million by the end of the year. This will be the highest figure since it began collecting date in the early ’90s, marking it as the biggest year for vinyl sale since the late 1980’s.
Albums from Ed Sheeran, Liam Gallagher, and Rag N Bone Man have been some of the most successful releases on vinyl this year, with reissues of classic albums from The Smiths, Amy Winehouse, and more all achieving great sales over the course of the year.
“A strong year for new releases from artists such as Ed Sheeran and Rag’n’Bone Man has been followed up with a really strong back end, with the Gallagher brothers driving the LP sales into the final quarter,”said John Hirst, music manage for retail chain, HMV. “Sales also continue to soar across our back catalogue, perhaps as people use streaming as a discovery tool alongside wanting to browse and collect physical music formats.”
eil.com… the world’s largest online retailer of rare and out of print vinyl, CDs and music memorabilia – since 1987.


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OnMobile’s net profit for the first quarter of fiscal year 2012, ended June 30, 2011 decreased 31 percent from Rs 186 million to Rs 128 million.
Revenue for the first of quarter of the current fiscal was Rs 1,364 million, registering a 10 per cent increase as compared to Rs 1,238 million in the comparable period a year ago.
The company’s EBITDA decreased 6 percent from Rs 286 million to Rs 270 million. Operating margin of OnMobile decreased 28 percent from Rs 154 million to Rs 111 million. Earnings per share decreased 16 percent from Rs 1.6 to Rs 1.3.
The global deal between OnMobile and Telefonica in LATAM continues to grow as services have been deployed across 7 countries, covering 85 percent of the total subscriber base. The active user base has grown over 50 percent from last quarter to 4.6 million users at the end of this quarter.
The company also completed the deployment of its sports pack ‘Futbol’ in all 12 countries ahead of the big event, COPA America in July.
This quarter witnessed the launch of the OnMobile OnCloud – a SaaS based platform for Converged Content, Communications and Mobile Commerce applications offering a social community layer to existing and new VAS services.
OnMobile launched RBT on a SaaS model in Telefonica, Spain, successfully migrating 1 million RBT users within 2 weeks. This further reaffirmed our strong relationship with Telefonica, one of the largest telcos in the world and bears testimony on our ability to scale and deliver.
The company has established a firm presence in the African continent. We have launched RBT and MRadio services in one of the leading operators in a large African Country replacing the incumbent RBT Service Provider, and also launched RBT in one of the leading operators in Southern Africa.
Atul Churamani was appointed as Head, Content Licensing & Partnerships for OnMobile. Atul will lead licensing of content from music labels and other owners of intellectual property for distribution across mobile platforms in India and around the globe, leveraging the huge mobile reach of OnMobile for content owners.
By Telecomlead.com Team


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Apple's Lawyers Take Quest to Kill Android to Japan
September 8, 2011 10:15 AM
comment(s) - last by
The Galaxy S (pictured) is outselling Apple's iPhone in Japan, but Apple hopes to change that by banning its competitor from the market.
(Source: Japan Now)
Those tricky devils! Somehow movie makers traveled back in time 37 years to infringe upon Apple's patented iPad design, which it fantasized in 2005, finally figuring out how to produce it commercially five years later.
Samsung is outselling Apple, but Apple hopes lawyers will succeed in restricting market selection
Apple, Inc. (
) has a very big problem. It can't compete with the superior hardware and broader selection of devices running Google Inc.'s
) Android operating system
. But its large legal staff has devised a clever solution -- it will try to
kill Android in court
I. In the Court of the Rising Sun
Apple's quest to remove its competitor from the market has now taken it to the "Land of the Rising Sun", Japan. In Japan, according to market research firm Strategy Analytics, top Android handset maker Samsung Electronics Comp., Ltd.'s (
) Galaxy S smartphone has been outselling Apple's iPhone. But Apple's lawyers have a plot to change that situation.
late yesterday that a couple weeks back Apple filed yet another lawsuit against Samsung, this time seeking to ban Japanese sales of the company's bestselling Galaxy S and
Galaxy S II smartphones
, as well as the new
Galaxy Tab 7.7 tablet
The new Japanese suit, filed Aug. 23, makes the familiar accusation that Samsung "slavishly" copied Apple's smart phones and tablets. It seeks 100 million yen ($1.3M USD) in damages and a complete sales ban.
Apple initiated the court battle, suing Samsung in multiple courts in the U.S., Australia, South Korea, and Europe. Samsung responded by
in these regions. It was in fact Samsung who struck first in Japan, filing suit in April. Samsung is looking to fight fire with fire and is asking for a ban on iPhone and iPad sales.
Sources we've spoken to close to Samsung indicate that the device maker does not truly wish to restrict consumers selection, rather they hope that a potential sales ban would force Apple to drop its questionable lawsuits out of self-interest and let consumers decide which company's products are victorious.
II. Does Apple Own the Exclusive Right to Make Smart Phones and Tablets?
Apple claims to own exclusive rights to produce any modern smartphone or tablet, claiming ownership of all multi-touch in mobile devices and all thin, rectangular minimalist mobile device designs.
Apple has been granted design patents in many regions that appear to grant it sweeping ownership of minimalist tablet designs. In short the patents declare Apple to own exclusive rights to making thin rectangular tablets with a minimalist single (homescreen) button design.
the design patent by the
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
in 2005. Apple would not be able to produce its vision commercially until
five years later in 2010
Similarly, Apple claims to own exclusive rights to develop multi-touch devices. It was
granted a patent on multi-touch
in mobile devices, despite the fact that Myron Krueger and the University of Toronto developed and published papers on virtually equivalent technology
almost 25 years prior
to Apple producing its
first multi-touch device
III. Outlook for Apple's Plot is Mixed
Apple's plans may be in jeopardy given a recent Netherlands court ruling, the first major decision in the case. The judge in that case rejected Apple's claims of owning exclusive rights to the tablet design and multi-touch as ridiculous. He wrote, "There was no violation by Samsung on any of Apple's design or copyright..."
The judge essentially handed Samsung a victory, declaring that it only infringed on one minor patent that dealt with a feature in Android's Gallery application. The verdict cleared Samsung to continue sales in Netherlands, much to Apple's chagrin.
Apple has succeed in securing temporary sales bans
. The Australian case will be decided September 26, while the German case should be decided tomorrow, September 9.
If Apple can't topple Android's top handset and tablet makers with lawsuits its hopes of being the market's top player look bleak. Reports indicate that Android is
outselling Apple nearly 5-to-2 globally
, a gap which is widening with every passing month.
Meanwhile Apple has seen its tablet market share plunge from approximately 94 percent to 61 percent in a year, while Android has
risen from 3 percent to 30 percent
over the same period. Most expect Android to soon pass Apple in tablet market share as Apple continues to stick to limited product selection (just a single product in the tablet market, in fact) and a sluggish release schedule (one new design per year).
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
9/8/2011 2:45:39 PM
"The judge goes on to write "...de kennelijk eenvoudig door haar uit te voeren aanpassing...", "meaning: it should be easy to technically circumvent the one patent it (Samsung) was found to violate.""
"Samsung representatives reportedly told Tweakers.net that they would be removing the scrolling feature from their smart phones, which should allow them to continue sales and marketing in the Netherlands."
Any delay will be very very short.
9/8/2011 3:46:56 PM
Just to clarify, the one patent the Netherlands judge found valid has to do with scrolling between pictures in Samsung's gallery (photo browser) app.
All other claims
by Apple were thrown out. Tweaking the gallery app to scroll differently by the late September deadline should be trivial. Apple lost in the Netherlands pretty handily.
"Death Is Very Likely The Single Best Invention Of Life" -- Steve Jobs
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Apple Succeeds in Banning Samsung's Tablets in Australia -- for Now
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Samsung's 1.5 GHz Dual-Core, 4.5-in. Monster Gets Official
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Apple Lawsuit Bans Sale/Marketing of Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in European Union
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Android Outsells iPhone 5-to-2, Has Nearly 50 Percent of the Market
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Coffee farmers switch to avocado amid global boom
5 months ago, 6 July 09:21
When Steve Mbugua uprooted more than 500 coffee trees on his half-acre farm in Nyeri county eight years ago, his neighbours thought he was making a mistake.
The farmer replaced them with 500 seedlings of Hass avocados - for which there is now huge export demand - and today makes Sh400,000 (nearly $4,000) a year from his harvest.
That is nearly ten times what he earned from coffee.
“I knew I would make money,” he said, particularly as warmer conditions and worsening drought make it harder to grow coffee in some parts of Kenya where it earlier thrived.
Unlike coffee trees, Mbugua said, avocado trees require little maintenance, and their fruit is a good earner.
Coffee prices, on the other hand, have gone the wrong way: the price on global markets dropped from about $2.80 a pound in 2011 to about $1.12 today.
And with coffee harvests also varying in the face of harsher and less predictable weather, thousands of coffee farmers are switching to avocados, said Joseph Ntere Njau, former chief of nearby Meru county, one of Kenya’s main avocado-growing areas.
Avocados’ popularity has soared around the world in recent years, driven by increased awareness of their health benefits, experts say.
In the United States, for instance, per capita consumption of avocado doubled in the decade to 2006, reaching 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg), and doubled again to 7.1 pounds (3.2 kg) in 2016, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture.
Kenyan exports of the fruit have climbed from nearly 39,000 tonnes in 2015 to about 47,000 tonnes in 2016, worth around Sh5.2 billion ($52 million), said James Weru, marketing manager at Fair Trade Enterprises Limited, a fresh produce exporter.
Kenya is now Africa’s second-largest producer of avocados - behind South Africa, Weru said - with 7,500 hectares under cultivation.
Seventy per cent of growers are small-scale farmers.
About one-fifth of the annual harvest is exported, he said, and goes mainly to markets in Europe and the Middle East.
“(That is) due to the high demand ... as avocado is considered to be a very nutritive fruit and has a lot of health benefits,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Avocado farmer Mbugua said Kenya has a good climate for the crop, adding that the Hass varietal that he and many grow is tolerant of different rainfall conditions and easy to propagate.
It also requires little labour, is resistant to pests and disease, and has a long growing season, he said.
With demand continuing to climb, Weru’s company said it needs another 10,000 farmers to grow Hass avocados for export.
But some caution against rushing to uproot coffee trees.
Okisegere Ojepat, who heads the Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya, a trade association representing growers and exporters in the horticulture industry, noted that avocado trees take three years to fruit, and a further two to reach maturity.
“So what will farmers be doing as they wait?” he said. “I cannot advocate cutting down a tree to plant another tree.”
And, he added, coffee demand would likely revive as the government and the private sector have been ...
Category: business news markets economy corporate opinion lifestyle
NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 14 - Starting Friday midnight, consumers in the country will pay less for super petrol, diesel and kerosene following a review on the Kenya breaking news | Kenya news today | ...Category: business


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- The 19,650 sqm warehouse is due for completion next week
- The Australian division previously went into voluntary admin in 2018
- Has been relaunched under a different entity employing an online-only operation
To accelerate its e-commerce growth, retailer Toys”R”Us ANZ Limited (ASX: TOY) has announced it has entered into a lease agreement for a large purpose-built warehouse distribution facility.
Due for completion around June 2022, the 19,650sqm building will be located in Clayton, Victoria. A new head office facility will connect with the warehouse.
The Australian division went into voluntary administration back in 2018, however, it has since relaunched under a different entity. Currently, the business employs an online-only operation.
The new website went live via a ‘soft launch’ back in June 2019 by limiting the number of products available to facilitate a solo launch.
“In alignment with the Company’s growth aspirations and vision, these new warehouse and office facilities mark a key strategic milestone that will enable Toys“R”Us to scale the business considerably and accelerate e-commerce operations,” said Louis Mittoni, Toys”R”Us CEO and Managing Director.
”As shopper demand via e-commerce pillars Toys“R”Us, Babies“R”Us and Hobby Warehouse continues to grow, this purpose-built state-of-the-art distribution centre will assist the company meet increased demand, improve cost efficiencies, and deliver higher levels of customer service and experiences to our shoppers.”
Louis Mittoni, Toys “R” Us CEO and Managing Director
Phil Pearce, CEO of ESR Australia, who is developer and lessor of the site, said his company has spent the past 18 months transforming the 6.4-hectare manufacturing site into a new innovative facility for the retailer.
“Toys“R”Us’ commitment to ESR’s Clayton Business Hub as its Australian headquarters sees the site fully-leased well before completion of construction and we look forward to welcoming the company to its custom-built facility next year.”
The transaction was brokered by Colliers.
“The growth of e-commerce has not been an unfamiliar narrative over the past 24 months, but we take particular pleasure in playing a small part in seeing the accelerated growth trajectory of this storied brand since pivoting to a digital first retail model,” explained James Stott, Director of Industrial at Colliers.
“This state-of-the-art logistics centre is the third deal we have brokered on behalf of Toys“R”Us over the past 12 months and importantly will exponentially grow its logistics capabilities and also become a hub where customers can engage with the Toys “R”Us and Babies“R”Us brands.”
James Stott, Colliers


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Arla results show firm will share out £252 million profits among farmer suppliers
Dairy giant Arla has announced it will pay out its entire £252 million profit from 2018 to help its 11,200 milk suppliers minimise the impact of the difficult year.
After a difficult first quarter, the firm came out of 2018 with improved sales and brand share as the company’s performance grew stronger throughout the year.
The firm’s transformation programme ‘Calcium’ delivered cost-savings far beyond targets for the year and thanks to a historically strong balance sheet the Board of Directors has proposed to pay out the entire net profit for 2018 to farmer owners.
Group revenue increased to €10.4 billion (compared to €10.3 billion in 2017 and €9.6 billion in 2016) driven mainly by strong growth in branded sales volumes of 3.1% with a wider range of dairy products to meet consumer needs.
It saw Arla grow its share of branded business to 45.2%, surpassing the long-term target in the Good Growth Strategy 2020 of 45%.
By the end of 2018, the negative impact of the summer’s drought in Europe was registered as expected growth in milk volumes stalled in Europe and Arla’s farmer-owners faced increasing feed prices.
Sharing its profits
Arla’s historically strong balance sheet has allowed the Board of Directors to propose an extraordinary one-time pay-out of the full net profit for 2018 of €290 million to farmer-owners. This will be paid out as an additional 2.3c/kg of milk.
Chairman Jan Toft Norgaard said: “As a farmer-owned dairy company we care deeply about the livelihoods of our farmers and we see how many of our colleagues have been affected by the drought last summer.
“We have this exceptional opportunity to help them without putting our company Arla at risk and I am proud that we have proposed to do so.”
In 2018 Arla regained its competitiveness through the cost-savings programme Calcium. Calcium was accelerated as a response to challenging external developments, such as the decline of the British pound and the Swedish krona as well as the historic shift in value between milk fat and protein.
Calcium aims to deliver more than €400 million of sustainable annual savings by 2021 where €300 million will be invested in a competitive milk price to the farmer-owners and more than €100 million will be invested back into the company to fund future growth opportunities.
Arla Foods chief executive Peder Tuborgh said: “Early in 2018 we took decisive action by ramping up our transformation programme Calcium.
“I am very happy to be able to say that the whole organization has embraced the journey and therefore we are already substantially changing the way we work, spend and invest in our business.
“As a result, we improved our performance as a business throughout the year and go into 2019 in a significantly better position than a year ago.”
Key markets and opportunities
Arla focuses its activities on two commercial zones, Europe and International. With total revenue of €6,507 million and representing 62% of Arla’s total group revenue, core brands in the European Zone performed above expectations and delivered strong branded growth of 2.5%.
Milk and yoghurts were popular among consumers as Skyr recorded a 22% sales growth, while Arla’s organic milk line sale grew by 2.7%.
The hot summer in Europe also had a positive effect on milk-based beverages sales which grew 10.1% to €248 million.
While revenue from Arla’s international growth markets outside of Europe were negatively impacted by exchange rates, the firm’s overall international business delivered a 4.6% branded volume-driven revenue growth and a total revenue of €1,576 million.
Arla’s planned acquisition of the Kraft-branded processed cheese business of multinational confectionery, food and beverage company Mondelez is set to significantly strengthen Arla’s position in the Middle East and North Africa region.
“We operate in a global market with fast-changing consumer food trends, political uncertainty and volatility. Despite this, our markets around the world delivered good results that we can build on in 2019. With our Good Growth strategy we are on the right track to strengthen our business in a sustainable way,” said Arla Foods CEO Peder Tuborgh.
2019 is expected to be another big investment year. Arla plans to invest €458 million in 2019 on projects including a new powder tower in Pronsfeld, Germany, the expansion and modernization of production sites in northern Europe as well as large investments in Arla Foods Ingredients.
Arla continuously monitors and assesses the situation to prepare the business for the various scenarios.
The firm expects to continue to deliver branded growth in both the European and International zones. Group revenue outlook for 2019 is expected to be €10.2-10.6 billion.
Net profit share is expected in the range of between 2.8 and 3.2% of group revenue and leverage in 2019 is expected to be within the target range of 2.8-3.4 despite full 2018 net profit pay-out to farmer owners.
Arla will publish its annual report on February 28 after the company’s Board of Representatives has decided how to appropriate the profits.


text:
OCZ have added yet another series of memory modules to their quickly expanding DDR3 family, these being the "PC3-12800 Platinum Edition" modules rated to operate at speeds of up to 1600 MHz with latencies of 7-6-6 on ASUS motherboards, and 7-7-7 across all others.
You can purchase these modules as a 2x1024MB kit. For further details have a read of the press material here.
Sunnyvale, Calif.-July 17, 2007-OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today announces two new 1600MHz parts including the world's first enhanced bandwidth high speed DDR3. The newest additions to the OCZ DDR3 family offer enthusiasts performance they can really sink their teeth into and feature blazing fast speeds of 1600MHz and the incredibly fast latencies of 7-7-7 and 7-6-6 on ASUS motherboards.
Last updated: Jun 16, 2020 at 04:29 pm CDT


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This year’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” report lists FedEx as the No. 10 ranked company overall. The survey measures nine attributes related to financial performance and corporate reputation.
“To be ranked in the top 10 of the FORTUNE World’s Most Admired Company rankings once again is an incredible achievement, and by no small measure our team members in the Asia Pacific region have contributed to this result,” said Karen Reddington, president, Asia Pacific, FedEx Express. “Our ranking is a reflection of our unique culture. With a strong people-first philosophy, we strive to make every customer experience outstanding. This is why people want to work for us, and why customers want to use our services.”
This is the 19th consecutive year that FedEx has ranked among the top 20 in the FORTUNE Most Admired Companies List, with 15 of those years ranking among the top 10.
FORTUNE collaborates with partner Korn Ferry Hay Group on this corporate reputation survey, which evaluates approximately 1,500 companies, including the 1,000 largest U.S. companies ranked by revenue and non-U.S. companies in the FORTUNE Global 500 database with revenues of $10 billion or more. Korn Ferry Hay Group surveys 680 companies from 29 countries to select the 15 largest for each international industry and the 10 largest for each U.S. industry.
Executives, directors and analysts are then asked to rate companies in their own industry on nine criteria, from investment value to social responsibility, and this vote results in the 52 industry lists. A company’s score must rank in the top half of its industry survey to be listed.


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HOUSTON (AP) -- Santa Claus has come to town in Houston and he's sweeter than your average holiday fellow.
A Houston hotel has created a half-ton dark chocolate sculpture of Santa Claus in a chair, complete with elves.
Pastry experts at the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston used dark chocolate and a special chocolate dough to fashion the exhibit, which is on display until Dec. 30.
Hotel spokeswoman Tere Perry says the project cost about $5,000 worth of chocolate and 400 hours in work.
Officials estimate the chocolate adds up to more than 2.4 million calories. But it's not edible. Perry told the Houston Chronicle the sculpture has been sealed with lacquer.
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SONY hasn't officially announced the "PlayStation 5", but we've already got plenty of details about the upcoming console.
This includes info about the first games we can expert to play on the PS5 when it launches – either in 2019 or 2020.
We already know that the PlayStation 5 will be seriously fast, with a supercharged AMD processor and a custom Radeon Navi graphics chip.
This graphics unit will also support ray tracing, an impressive lighting technique that will make your games look hyper-realistic.
Sony's PS4 Pro can already handle 4K game graphics so it's almost guaranteed that the PS5 will follow suit.
But what games will you actually be able to play? Here's our list of confirmed, rumoured and possible titles in alphabetical order...
All PS4 games
Before we crack on with the actual list, it's worth mentioning that the PS4 will be backwards comptible.
Sony's Mark Cerny recently confirmed to Wired that you'd be able to play all PS4 games on the PlayStation 5.
And those PS4 games will run even smoother than they do on your current console thanks to a speed boost. It should mean they load quicker, too.
This long-awaited sci-fi game from the minds behind the ludicrously successful Witcher series is practically confirmed for a PS5 release.
That's because game studio CD Projekt Red confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 was capable of working on next-gen consoles.
"Next-gen hasn't been announced yet, so we can only speculate," said studio boss Adam Kicinski.
"Technology-wise, Cyberpunk is very advanced. Our technology is ready to interface with future generations.
"The game is developed in such a way that it can use very powerful future equipment."
Another long-overdue title, Death Stranding is a creepy action game from Hideo Kojima – the mind behind Metal Gear.
During his interview with Wired, Cerny hinted that Death Stranding would be available on PS5, though it's not 100% confirmed.
What we do know is that Death Stranding will be available on PS4, and will be available on PS5 via backwards compatibility at the very least.
That's good news, as fans have been eagerly awaiting the game since its E3 2016 reveal.
No one has actually confirmed that Fifa 2020 even exists, never mind that it will land on PS5.
But EA puts out a new Fifa game every year, so the PS5 is guaranteed to get one.
However, this could be Fifa 2020 or Fifa 2021, depending on when the PS5 actually launches.
Grand Theft Auto 6
Like Fifa, Grand Theft Auto 6 has not been officially confirmed – but will almost certainly land on the PS5.
GTA games are often amongst the biggest of any console generation, and GTA 5 came out all the way back in 2013.
With a GTA 6 release date looming, it's looking extremely likely it'll be available on the PS5 – even if it launches on the PS4 first.
The Last of Us: Part 2
Sony hasn't cough up a release date for the highly anticipated sequel to zombie thriller The Last of Us.
But we do know that The Last of Us is a Sony franchise, which means it'll be exclusive to Sony consoles.
Given that the game will probably get top billing, it's safe to assume that this sequel will appear on the PS5 – and potentially on the PS4, to boot.
MOST READ IN GAMING
In other news, Sony's PS5 has been tipped to cost over £450.
Read our round-up of the latest rumours about the Xbox 2 and PS5.
And find out why both of these consoles could be the last you ever own.
Which game are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments!


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UPS Inc. and the Teamsters union have agreed to terms on 55 noneconomic issues in bargaining over a new master contract, but the hard work has just begun.
Among the changes are the installation of air conditioners in package cars and other vehicles purchased after Jan. 1, 2024. Another requires that drivers not be forced to work more than 60 hours over a 70-hour workweek, though they could volunteer to do so.
A third requires UPS (NYSE: UPS) to give the union 24 hours’ notice before a supervisor does a ride-along with a driver. A fourth designates areas for subcontractors to operate and requires them to leave the property after certain designated times.
In addition, UPS may not subcontract feeder work if an available worker is laid off or is working out of classification.
The next step is negotiation over wages, benefits and a controversial two-tier pay model, the most difficult part of the contract talks. The Teamsters submitted its economic proposal to UPS on Wednesday, and the union has made no secret it is seeking significant increases.
UPS must tread lightly if it thinks it can pass on added labor costs to the Teamsters in the form of what Dean Maciuba, head of U.S. operations for Crossroads Parcel Consulting, called “punishing rate increases” without thinking it could lose business. FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), UPS’ chief rival, is transforming itself into a lower-cost service provider, which is a “serious threat to UPS on a 2nd front,” Maciuba said in a LinkedIn post.
However, FedEx executives said earlier this week that they have seen no material impact so far from concerns over a possible strike at UPS.
Speaking Wednesday night on a webinar, Teamster General-President Sean O’Brien painted a two-road scenario in which either UPS agrees to Teamster demands or the company doesn’t and the union goes on strike Aug. 1, one day after the current contract expires. “We will leave everything on the field,” O’Brien said, adding that “we have to be united. We are setting a tone for the entire labor movement in the country.”
NOVEMBER 7-9, 2023 • CHATTANOOGA, TN • IN-PERSON EVENT
The second annual F3: Future of Freight Festival will be held in Chattanooga, “The Scenic City,” this November. F3 combines innovation and entertainment — featuring live demos, industry experts discussing freight market trends for 2024, afternoon networking events, and Grammy Award-winning musicians performing in the evenings amidst the cool Appalachian fall weather.


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On Wednesday, United Airlines said that it is sending layoff notices to 36,000 employees, which is nearly half of its US staff. That may not be the final figure, but United is keeping its options open while ensuring it complies with laws requiring 60 days’ notice ahead of mass redundancies. Per Associated Press, United officials are hoping the final number will be lower, with some staff offered early retirement packages instead of being laid off. The job cuts could include more than 10,000 flight attendants and 2,250 pilots. United’s action is not unique, but it is the most extreme of any major US carrier so far. Delta issued layoff notices to more than 2,500 pilots last week, with several more reportedly eligible for an early retirement option. In May, American Airlines said that it plans to cut management and support staff headcount by around a third.
Although US passenger numbers have recovered somewhat in recent weeks, they remain far below typical levels. In May, 7.2 million passengers passed through Transport Security Administration checkpoints, versus 74.5 million in May 2019. In June this year, that jumped to 14.5 million versus 76.6 million, and in the first week of July 4.7 million travellers were logged versus 17.2 million in the first week of July 2019. All three of Delta, United and American are down more than 50% year-to-date in terms of share price, with United the hardest hit at negative 63.1%.
Twitter jumps on job advert speculation
All three major US stock indices came out on top after a volatile trading session on Wednesday. The S&P 500 opened higher, gaining close to 1% versus Tuesday’s close by the mid-morning. It sank back to a loss before midday, then climbed back to a gain towards the close. The information technology and consumer discretionary sectors helped the market higher. Twitter was one of the biggest winners, jumping 7.3% after posting a job advert that said it is launching a subscription platform under the codename Gryphon. There were few details in the advert, which was edited to become even more vague after being reported on. Investors were buoyed as diversifying its sources of income beyond digital advertising, would be a major step forward for the company. During the pandemic, digital advertising-dependent tech firms have struggled, as companies have pulled back on their ad spending. Twitter stock is now up 10.5% year-to-date.
The Nasdaq Composite was once again the biggest winner on Wednesday, gaining 1.4%, helped higher by companies including Biogen, Nvidia and Amazon. In earnings news, Bed Bath & Beyond announced it is closing 200 stores permanently, after the pandemic cost it close to 50% of its revenues.
S&P 500: +0.8% Wednesday, -1.9% YTD
Dow Jones Industrial Average: +0.7% Wednesday, -8.7% YTD
Nasdaq Composite: +1.4% Wednesday, +16.9% YTD
UK stocks close lower after Chancellor Sunak’s emergency budget
Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s emergency budget, delivered on Wednesday, was met with a muted response by investors perhaps due to the fact that much of the news was already out there and priced into the market already. The FTSE 100 fell 0.6%, after plans including, a new job retention bonus as the furlough scheme winds down, funding for a job creation scheme, a temporary stamp duty cut, a VAT cut for the hospitality sector, and discounts on eating out for consumers were announced. Sunak’s plan is more targeted on the hardest hit sectors of the economy than government interventions in other countries; in the US, the entire population was handed a $1,200 per person stimulus payment to use at their own discretion.
The FTSE 100 was led lower by names including, advertising giant WPP, International Consolidated Airlines Group, and HSBC. WPP fell 5.4%, the day after announcing that three advertising businesses it owns are merging, with management buying a 49.99% stake and WPP remaining the majority shareholder. In the FTSE 250, which sank 1% on Wednesday, FirstGroup was by far the biggest faller. The coach operator’s stock sank by more than 20% after it used a warning about its ability to continue operating; the company also said it has enough resources to continue running for at least 12 months.
FTSE 100: -0.6% Wednesday, -18.4% YTD
FTSE 250: -1% Wednesday, -21.5% YTD
What to watch
Walgreens Boots: This week, pharmacy retailer Walgreens Boots announced it has reached a deal with a primary care firm to open doctors’ offices in more than 500 drug stores over the next five years, targeting underserved markets. That partnership will likely be one focus for analysts when the company reports its latest quarterly earnings on Wednesday. Walgreens stock is down 28.3% year-to-date, and has largely been left out of the recent market rally. Analysts, who overwhelmingly favour a hold rating on the stock, are anticipating an earnings per share figure of $1.17 for the quarter, versus the $1.29 they had been expecting three months ago. Late last year, it was reported that Walgreens was exploring options to go private in a huge buyout, but there has been little in the way of an update since.
Jobless claims: Initial weekly jobless claims will be reported in the US today. Over the preceding four weeks, the figure has ticked down from 1.54 million new weekly unemployment filers to 1.43 million. Expectations are for the figure to continue its downward trajectory in this week’s data. Since mid-March, more than 50 million new unemployment claims have been filed.
Bitcoin is still very much trading sideways and whilst $10,000 has been a hurdle for some time, it does appear that the $9,000 level is providing some support also. Despite lower volumes, bitcoin has made some gains over the last couple of days and has crept back above the $9,400 mark. The low volatility in general gives us an indication that there is more sustained ‘hodling’ prevalent at the moment.
All data, figures & charts are valid as of 09/07/2020. All trading carries risk. Only risk capital you can afford to lose.


text:
|By PR Newswire||
|February 17, 2014 11:00 AM EST||
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
- Magazine recognizes brand for 'being part of the conversation, no matter what' citing many successful initiatives, including most recent Ron Burgundy Durango campaign
- Dodge joins other 2014 leading businesses on list, including Google, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Nike and more
The Dodge brand has been recognized by Fast Company as one of the "World's 50 Most Innovative Companies" in the magazine's Most Innovative Companies issue (March 2014), available on newsstands Feb. 17 and online at www.fastcompany.com/MIC.
The magazine chose Dodge "for being part of the conversation, no matter what" as exemplified by many brand initiatives that delivered results, including its recent Dodge Durango advertising campaign featuring Ron Burgundy (Will Farrell), the fictional character in Paramount Picture's "Anchorman" movie franchise. The ads helped lift Durango sales 59 percent in October 2013.
"How exciting to be recognized by Fast Company, an innovator and leader in its own right, and to be among such a prestigious group of world-renown companies," said Olivier Francois, Chief Marketing Officer, Chrysler Group LLC. "The campaigns and partnerships we create for each of our brands are as individual and different as the brands themselves. The Dodge initiatives Fast Company highlighted convey a mind-set that is purely Dodge."
"Muscle cars to multi-passenger vehicles, Dodge gives you performance and technology with an attitude and presence that transforms an everyday vehicle into a personal statement," said Tim Kuniskis, President and CEO, Dodge Brand. "In an industry that is getting more and more commoditized, we capture this brand attitude and swagger in our marketing recipe to spark conversation and consideration."
Fast Company also saluted Dodge for product placements and partnerships, reaching "nearly every type of driver," that resulted in "people taking notice." Dodge brand sales were up 14 percent in 2013 marking 14 consecutive months of year-over-year sales growth.
Other brand initiatives last year included partnering with Universal Pictures on the "Fast & Furious 6" movie, the SyFy channel for its "Defiance" TV series, and a partnership with international music superstar Pitbull for Dodge Dart ads targeting multicultural millennial consumers.
Fast Company's annual Most Innovative Companies issue honors businesses including Google, Amazon, Airbnb and Nike (last year's Most Innovative Company), along with such rising newcomers as GoPro, GoldieBlox, and FitBit. The Most Innovative Companies is Fast Company's most significant, high profile editorial effort of the year. The editorial team spends months gathering and sifting data to identify those enterprises that exemplify the best in business from across the economy and around the world. The end result is a package that dares to be different, emphasizing not just revenue growth and profit margins but also progressive, sustainable business models and an ethos of creativity.
"The culture of innovation across the globe is more robust than ever," reports Fast Company editor Robert Safian, who identifies 12 lessons of innovation for 2014 within the issue. "To win in such a fast-changing environment requires a new kind of business agility."
About Dodge Brand
The Dodge brand is tearing into its centennial year with a keen eye focused on the future and a desire to create vehicles customers can't wait to drive and are proud to park in their driveways. With 100 years of history, Dodge is building on the technological advancements of the '30s and '40s, design evolution of the '50s, the racing heritage of the '60s, the horsepower of the '70s, the efficiency of the '80s and unbelievable styling of the '90s as it paves the road to its future. New for 2014, the Dodge Durango "is kind of a big deal," with a new eight-speed transmission that delivers up to 25 miles per gallon (mpg) on the highway, a new 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment center and best-in-class power, towing, and driving range, in addition to its class-exclusive technology. The new Durango joins a stable that includes the new 2014 Dodge Dart with its breakthrough 2.4-liter 184-horsepower Tigershark engine, and the celebrated 2014 Dodge Avenger. Both earned 2014 Top Safety Pick status from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Completing the 2014 Dodge lineup are the Challenger, Charger, Journey and 30th Anniversary Grand Caravan. The Dodge lineup features five vehicles with best-in-class power, seven vehicles that deliver 25 mpg or higher, three vehicles that deliver 31 mpg or higher and three vehicles that offer seating for seven.
About Fast Company
Fast Company is the world's leading progressive business media brand, with a unique editorial focus on innovation in technology, ethical economics, leadership, and design. Fast Company and FastCompany.com inspire readers and users to think beyond traditional boundaries and create the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, one of the U.S.'s leading media companies.
SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC
Organizations from small to large are increasingly adopting cloud solutions to deliver essential business services at a much lower cost. According to cyber security experts, the frequency and severity of cyber-attacks are on the rise, causing alarm to businesses and customers across a variety of industries. To defend against exploits like these, a company must adopt a comprehensive security defense strategy that is designed for their business. In 2015, organizations such as United Airlines, Sony...
Aug. 31, 2015 07:15 PM EDT Reads: 465
The Internet of Things is in the early stages of mainstream deployment but it promises to unlock value and rapidly transform how organizations manage, operationalize, and monetize their assets. IoT is a complex structure of hardware, sensors, applications, analytics and devices that need to be able to communicate geographically and across all functions. Once the data is collected from numerous endpoints, the challenge then becomes converting it into actionable insight.
Aug. 31, 2015 07:00 PM EDT
Puppet Labs has announced the next major update to its flagship product: Puppet Enterprise 2015.2. This release includes new features providing DevOps teams with clarity, simplicity and additional management capabilities, including an all-new user interface, an interactive graph for visualizing infrastructure code, a new unified agent and broader infrastructure support.
Aug. 31, 2015 06:30 PM EDT Reads: 514
Consumer IoT applications provide data about the user that just doesn’t exist in traditional PC or mobile web applications. This rich data, or “context,” enables the highly personalized consumer experiences that characterize many consumer IoT apps. This same data is also providing brands with unprecedented insight into how their connected products are being used, while, at the same time, powering highly targeted engagement and marketing opportunities. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Nathan Trel...
Aug. 31, 2015 06:00 PM EDT Reads: 242
Amazon and Google have built software-defined data centers (SDDCs) that deliver massively scalable services with great efficiency. Yet, building SDDCs has proven to be a near impossibility for ‘normal’ companies without hyper-scale resources. In his session at 17th Cloud Expo, David Cauthron, founder and chief executive officer of Nimboxx, will discuss the evolution of virtualization (hardware, application, memory, storage) and how commodity / open source hyper converged infrastructure (HCI) so...
Aug. 31, 2015 04:45 PM EDT
In their Live Hack” presentation at 17th Cloud Expo, Stephen Coty and Paul Fletcher, Chief Security Evangelists at Alert Logic, will provide the audience with a chance to see a live demonstration of the common tools cyber attackers use to attack cloud and traditional IT systems. This “Live Hack” uses open source attack tools that are free and available for download by anybody. Attendees will learn where to find and how to operate these tools for the purpose of testing their own IT infrastructu...
Aug. 31, 2015 04:30 PM EDT Reads: 442
The web app is agile. The REST API is agile. The testing and planning are agile. But alas, data infrastructures certainly are not. Once an application matures, changing the shape or indexing scheme of data often forces at best a top down planning exercise and at worst includes schema changes that force downtime. The time has come for a new approach that fundamentally advances the agility of distributed data infrastructures. Come learn about a new solution to the problems faced by software organ...
Aug. 31, 2015 04:30 PM EDT
With the Apple Watch making its way onto wrists all over the world, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a staple in the workplace. In fact, Forrester reported that 68 percent of technology and business decision-makers characterize wearables as a top priority for 2015. Recognizing their business value early on, FinancialForce.com was the first to bring ERP to wearables, helping streamline communication across front and back office functions. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Kevin Roberts...
Aug. 31, 2015 03:15 PM EDT
IBM’s Blue Box Cloud, powered by OpenStack, is now available in any of IBM’s globally integrated cloud data centers running SoftLayer infrastructure. Less than 90 days after its acquisition of Blue Box, IBM has integrated its Blue Box Cloud Dedicated private-cloud-as-a-service into its broader portfolio of OpenStack® based solutions. The announcement, made today at the OpenStack Silicon Valley event, further highlights IBM’s continued support to deliver OpenStack solutions across all cloud depl...
Aug. 31, 2015 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 244
Red Hat is investing in Tesora, the number one contributor to OpenStack Trove Database as a Service (DBaaS) also ranked among the top 20 companies contributing to OpenStack overall. Tesora, the company bringing OpenStack Trove Database as a Service (DBaaS) to the enterprise, has announced that Red Hat and others have invested in the company as a part of Tesora's latest funding round. The funding agreement expands on the ongoing collaboration between Tesora and Red Hat, which dates back to Febr...
Aug. 31, 2015 02:45 PM EDT Reads: 367
With the proliferation of connected devices underpinning new Internet of Things systems, Brandon Schulz, Director of Luxoft IoT – Retail, will be looking at the transformation of the retail customer experience in brick and mortar stores in his session at @ThingsExpo. Questions he will address include: Will beacons drop to the wayside like QR codes, or be a proximity-based profit driver? How will the customer experience change in stores of all types when everything can be instrumented and a...
Aug. 31, 2015 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 454
The Internet of Things (IoT) is about the digitization of physical assets including sensors, devices, machines, gateways, and the network. It creates possibilities for significant value creation and new revenue generating business models via data democratization and ubiquitous analytics across IoT networks. The explosion of data in all forms in IoT requires a more robust and broader lens in order to enable smarter timely actions and better outcomes. Business operations become the key driver of I...
Aug. 31, 2015 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 413
While many app developers are comfortable building apps for the smartphone, there is a whole new world out there. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Narayan Sainaney, Co-founder and CTO of Mojio, will discuss how the business case for connected car apps is growing and, with open platform companies having already done the heavy lifting, there really is no barrier to entry.
Aug. 31, 2015 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 141
WSM International, the pioneer and leader in server migration services, has announced an agreement with WHOA.com, a leader in providing secure public, private and hybrid cloud computing services. Under terms of the agreement, WSM will provide migration services to WHOA.com customers to relocate some or all of their applications, digital assets, and other computing workloads to WHOA.com enterprise-class, secure cloud infrastructure. The migration services include detailed evaluation and planning...
Aug. 31, 2015 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 180
SYS-CON Events announced today that DataClear Inc. will exhibit at the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. The DataClear ‘BlackBox’ is the only solution that moves your PC, browsing and data out of the United States and away from prying (and spying) eyes. Its solution automatically builds you a clean, on-demand, virus free, new virtual cloud based PC outside of the United States, and wipes it clean...
Aug. 31, 2015 01:45 PM EDT Reads: 414


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Lifestyle eyes Rs 7,000 crore revenue in India by 2020
Lifestyle, owned by Dubai-based Landmark Group is expecting its revenue to touch Rs 7,000 crore ($973 million) in India by 2020. It plans to expand its physical network in the country and boost its online presence to achieve the above revenue target.
Lifestyle had reported a turnover of Rs 4,000 crore in the 2018 fiscal year and eyeing a turnover of Rs 4,600 crore this fiscal year.
"Our aspiration is to reach a business of Rs 7,000 crore by 2020. We plan to open 12-14 stores pan-India this year and have already opened four. Over the next two years, we will be adding 8-10 stores per year and by 2020 we could have 100 stores," senior vice-president of marketing, Srinivas Rao, told the Telegraph.
"We plan to have an omnichannel presence. We currently have our own web store and plan to add more services for our online customers in the future and digital kiosks at our stores. The contribution of sales from online channels is currently below 2 percent. We expected to grow to 10 percent over the next 3-4 years," Rao added.
Lifestyle had entered India in 1999 and currently has around 75 retail outlets across India.
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Google has finally taken a significant step towards resolving their antitrust problems in the EU. The regulators had previously warned the first ranked search engine in the world t
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Italian EU-harmonized consumer prices rose by 8.1 percent year-on-year in May 2023, easing from a 8.7 percent increase in April but defying market expectations of a 7.5 percent advance, a preliminary estimate showed. Despite the recent slowdown, the HICP rate remained well above the European Central Bank's target of 2.0 percent. source: National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT)
Harmonised Inflation Rate YoY in Italy averaged 2.73 percent from 1990 until 2023, reaching an all time high of 12.60 percent in October of 2022 and a record low of -1.00 percent in September of 2020. This page includes a chart with historical data for Italy Harmonised Inflation Rate YoY. Italy Harmonised Inflation Rate YoY - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on June of 2023.
Harmonised Inflation Rate YoY in Italy is expected to be 7.00 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Italy Harmonised Inflation Rate YoY is projected to trend around 2.20 percent in 2024 and 2.00 percent in 2025, according to our econometric models.


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Grimsby salmon and trout specialist JCS Fish is again celebrating achieving the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standard for Food Safety, despite the complexity and challenge involved in auditing under Covid-19 conditions.
The standard is the most widely-used quality assurance standard in food manufacturing and the benchmark applied by all the UK’s major supermarkets to qualify their suppliers. It is usually awarded as the result of a detailed on-site audit by a BRC-accredited assessor, something not possible this year due to the pandemic.
JCS Financial Controller, Rosie Knight, said: “The BRC audit is always rigorous, but the Covid era assessment proved exceptionally complex, requiring two and a half days of online assessment, factory inspections conducted via WhatsApp and the electronic sharing and processing of a vast number of documents.
“We estimate that achieving BRC under the current conditions was about 25% more costly in terms of both time and expenditure. Nevertheless, we’re delighted to have overcome the challenges to achieve our BRC accreditation once again.”
Family-owned JCS Fish specialises in salmon. The company has managed to maintain its £10m revenue over the past 12 months by replacing the loss of foodservice sales during the pandemic with increased home delivery and retail sales.
Established 21 years ago by husband and wife team Andrew and Louise Coulbeck, JCS Fish now employs 40 people on Grimsby Fish Docks and has an annual turnover of £10m.
The company’s own award-winning BigFish™ brand is distributed in independent and online retailers (including Ocado and MuscleFoods) and includes products such as prepared salmon fillets, fish cakes, breaded salmon and smoked fish.


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A YouTuber journalist visiting a rebranded McDonald's in Russia says the air smells different, the buns aren't the same, and the Coke is flatter and not as sweet as the original
After McDonald's restaurants pulled out of Russia amidst the war in Ukraine, the restaurant was bought and rebranded as Vksuno i tochka.news.yahoo.com
The CEO of the rebranded Russian McDonald's isn't happy that some old franchisees are still using McDonald's branding and selling Big Macs
Some former McDonald's restaurants in Russia are selling Big Macs under a different name and are using packaging with its branding, Reuters reported.news.yahoo.com
McDonald's Russian restaurants have just reopened. Photos show thousands of people queueing for their first Big Mac when the chain arrived in Moscow in 1990.
The opening of Russia's first McDonald's, synonymous with capitalism and American culture, symbolized the impending collapse of the Soviet Union.news.yahoo.com
A fix for McDonald's soft-serve machines?
As the fast-food chain's non-functioning ice-cream machines became a national punchline, tech startup Kytch developed a device that helped franchisees get their machines back online – and that's when the fight over soft-serve began to really heat up.cbsnews.com
Meet the Black History Makers of Today
As we celebrate Black History Month this February, dozens of Michigan high school seniors are being recognized for their ability to uplift their peers or their community through academic achievement and positive behavior. Meet the students who won the Black History Makers of Today Scholarship.
Surge in COVID cases leaves businesses with major staffing issues throughout Michigan
Some businesses around Metro Detroit could not open their doors to consumers on New Year’s Eve due to a staff shortage. Today, Jan. 3, some McDonald’s locations have added a help wanted note alongside serving their food to entice the frequent customers to join the understaffed franchise.
How one mainstream restaurant is helping women become the boss
In fact, about 22% of McDonald’s owner-operators in Michigan are women. Those women own a combined 133 restaurants, which accounts for 29% of the locally-owned McDonald’s restaurants in Michigan. According to Schulz-Rogers, McDonald’s is very flexible and has been a good career for her to have while also being a mother. Schulz-Rogers’ family has owned and operated McDonald’s for four generations, and owning her own restaurant was always a career goal for Schulz-Rogers. If you are interested in the job opportunities at McDonald’s click or tap here, or text “APPLY” to 36453.
McPlant and more: Beyond Meat inks McDonald's, Yum deals
Beyond Meat on Thursday announced distribution agreements with McDonald's as well as with Yum Brands, the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. Beyond Meat had limited partnerships with McDonald's and Yum Brands before, testing its products in limited geographies or with only an item or two. Chicago-based McDonald's will use the Beyond Meat partnership to roll out what it is calling the “McPlant” burger, as well as eventually plant-based pork, egg and chicken products. AdYum will use Beyond Meat to expand its “Beyond Fried Chicken” products, as well as pizza toppings at Pizza Hut. Burger King has partnered with Impossible Foods to provide products that use plant-based products as well.
Black franchise owner sues McDonald's, cites persistent bias
Washington, the Black owner of 14 McDonald's franchises in Ohio has sued the corporation in federal court asserting numerous instances of unfair treatment compared with white owners. “By relegating Black owners to the oldest stores in the toughest neighborhoods, McDonald’s ensured that Black franchisees would never achieve the levels of success that White franchisees could expect,” the lawsuit said. “Black franchisees must spend more to operate their stores while White franchisees get to realize the full benefit of their labors." He blames his advocacy on behalf of Black McDonald's owners for his troubles with the company. According to the lawsuit, the number of Black McDonald's franchise owners in the U.S. has fallen from 377 in 1998 to 186 today.
The Latest: Keselowski has no regrets about Daytona 500 end
Racers crash during the last lap in the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Monday, Feb. 15, 2021, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Latest on the Daytona 500 (all times local):12:35 a.m.Brad Keselowski has no regrets about the way he handled the final lap of the Daytona 500. ___12:15 a.m.Michael McDowell won the Daytona 500 after Penske Racing teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski wrecked on the final lap. ___3:25 p.m.Derrike Cope was knocked out after only three laps, an ignominious end for the 62-year-old driver who won the 1990 Daytona 500. ___2 p.m.Bubba Wallace’s car failed inspection twice for the Daytona 500 and will have to start at the back of the field. AdWallace drives a new entry owned by NBA great Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin.
McDonald's US sales strong in Q4, but COVID drags elsewhere
U.S. same-store sales jumped 5.5% in the October-December period, pumped up by new menu items like spicy Chicken McNuggets and a meal deal collaboration with Colombian singer J Balvin. For the full year, McDonald's said U.S. same-store sales __ or sales at stores open at least a year __ were up less than 1%, their sixth consecutive year of growth. But worldwide, same-store sales were down 1.3% for the quarter, reflecting store closures and limited operating hours in various markets across Europe, Latin America and Asia. For the full year, global same-store sales were down 7.7%, a bigger decline than the 7% drop Wall Street had forecast, according to analysts polled by FactSet. Earlier this week, Starbucks said its global same-store sales fell 5% in the October-December period.
Detroit fast-food workers join protests across US aimed at raising federal minimum wage
DETROIT – The battle over the minimum wage heated up Friday. A Fight for $15 rally took place at a McDonald’s near the intersection of Livernois Avenue and West McNichols Road on Detroit’s west side. They want the minimum wage to increase to $15 an hour. Demonstrators want the incoming Joe Biden administration to raise the federal minimum wage within Biden’s first 100 days of taking office. The federal minimum wage hasn’t been raised since July 2009.
Does fast food get a bad rap?
Grab a burger and some French fries, What’s the Buzz is all about fast food because it is National Fast Food Day! First up, does fast food get a bad rap? Both Blaine and Melanie like fast food for the unhealthy guilty pleasure that it is. Are there too many fast food options? Now many chains are offer meat substitutes so vegetarians and vegans can enjoy some fast food as well.
Beyond Meat shares plummet on weak 3Q, McDonald's questions
Beyond Meat's stock plummeted Monday after company executives struggled to explain the company's weaker-than-expected third quarter sales and answer questions about whether it will make plant-based burgers for McDonald's. On top of that, McDonald's raised questions earlier in the day about its relationship with Beyond Meat. McDonald's tested a Beyond Meat burger in Canada earlier this year, and Beyond Meat President and CEO Ethan Brown insisted that his company continues to work with McDonald's on the McPlant. Brown said U.S. retail sales of Beyond Meat slowed in the July-September period despite increased availability in stores. At the same time, Beyond Meat said sales to restaurants and other venues continue to struggle.
McDonald's cult classic, the McRib, is coming back
This photo provided by McDonald's shows the McRib sandwich. McDonalds announced that it was bringing its barbeque slathered sandwich with the cult following back for yet another run on Dec. 2. (McDonald's via AP)NEW YORK – McRib, the fast food sandwich that went viral before viral was a thing, is back. McDonald's announced Friday that for the first time in eight years it will be offering nationwide its barbeque slathered sandwich with the cult following. McDonald's is reintroducing the McRib nationally as it tries to regain its footing during the pandemic, which left many of its dining rooms sparsely populated or empty, though drive-thrus continued to operate.
Someone created a website that tracks broken ice cream machines at McDonald’s, and it’s genius
But alas, while you may have gotten your Big Mac or McChicken, the ice cream machine is yet again broken, and your McFlurry dreams have been crushed. Not only are you upset, but so are the kids in the back seat who just wanted an ice cream cone. If only there was some way you could have known the ice cream machine was down, so you could have gone to a different McDonald’s with a working machine. A version of this scenario inspired 24-year-old software engineer Rashiq Zahid to created McBroken, a new website that tracks whether the ice cream machine at every McDonald’s is working or not. Only a true @McDonalds fan would go to these lengths to help customers get our delicious ice cream!
Drive-thru dominates even as dine-in restrictions ease
In contrast, at overseas McDonald’s locations, where drive-thru windows are less common, same-store sales dipped compared with a year ago. Domino's said its same-store sales overseas climbed 6.2% as stores in hard-hit markets like India and Spain reopened and more business migrated to delivery. Nearly all U.S. McDonald’s have drive-thru windows and its delivery business is rising. When combined with international sales, McDonald's same-store sales fell 2.2%. Still, that was significantly better than the second quarter, when same-store sales fell 24%.
Black former franchisees sue McDonalds for discrimination
According to the lawsuit, McDonalds steered Black franchisees to stores in inner-city neighborhoods with lower sales volumes and higher security and insurance costs. Once Black franchisees owned a store, they would be asked to rebuild or remodel within a shorter period of time than white franchisees without the rent relief and other financial support given to white franchisees, the lawsuit says. Theyre the same everywhere.Ferraro also noted that the number of Black McDonalds franchisees has fallen by half over the last two decades. In 1996, McDonalds leadership acknowledged that Black franchisees werent achieving parity with their white counterparts and resolved to make changes. They claimed McDonalds shifted advertising away from Black customers, graded Black-owned stores more harshly than white ones and implemented business plans that had a discriminatory impact on Black franchisees.
McDonald's internal investigation extends beyond ousted CEO
An internal investigation by McDonalds of potential misconduct has extended beyond its former CEO who was forced out late last year. After Easterbrook was became McDonald's CEO in 2015 he named Fairhurst, a friend, to lead the human resource department. Yet in July, McDonalds received information from another company employee suggesting that Easterbrook had multiple affairs with subordinates. The same person also told the company about issues within the human resources department. McDonalds named Heidi Capozzi, who had worked for Boeing, as human resources chief in March.


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Delegates at the Conference on Managing Sustainable Tourism Growth in Europe, organized this week by the European Travel Commission (ETC), were faced with an urgent call to achieve a balance between the needs of the tourism industry, travelers, local communities and the environment if they are to succeed now and in the future. That was the challenge set by Robert Andrzejczyk, President of the Polish Tourism Organization, in his opening remarks. The ETC Conference, hosted in the historic City of Krakow, was held in partnership with the Polish Tourism Organization and provided a forum for those in attendance to discuss innovative approaches on how to manage sustainable tourism growth.
Speaking ahead of the conference, Executive Director of the ETC Eduardo Santander outlined that “the aim of this conference is to discuss the causes and consequences of overtourism in Europe as well as to address some of the myths and misconceptions around the term. The long-term sustainability of growth in Europe requires a balance between economic, socio-cultural, and environmental sustainability. We want to highlight best practice and to evaluate a range of approaches that different destinations might find useful for their own cases.”
More than a hundred top experts from destination marketing organizations, private sector, travel intelligence and academia debated various challenges the tourism sector faces: its impact on the environment and local life and the growth limits.
Setting the tone for the day, Anna Pollock’s keynote address focused on the promise of regenerative tourism, where she outlined the idea of tourism through community education, engagement and empowerment. Interestingly, Anna outlined the ‘four steps to a flourishing destination’: Becoming Aware; Taking Responsibility; Collaboration; and Connecting.
Attendees on the day were presented with the results of a significant piece of research by Olivier Henry-Biabaud from TCI Research, which centered on the concept of overtourism and the myths surrounding it. According to the TCI research, overtourism and its related effects continue to rattle the travel and tourism industry, however the problem is usually not growth itself, but the way tourism growth is managed as an integral part of city planning.
During the first panel discussion of the day, the impact and consequences of unsustainable tourism growth in Europe was discussed at length. Attendees heard from Sara Mair Bellshaw from the University of the Highlands and Islands and Paul Peeters from Breda University who contributed to the discussion with an evaluation of the environmental impacts of tourism, especially in rural areas. Less capacity of rural areas to absorb significant increase in visitors’ numbers also makes them vulnerable to becoming overcrowded.
The second panel took the private sector standpoint to debate and exchange ideas on how to identify possible solutions and strategies for managing sustainable tourism growth. Nikos Mertzanidis from Cruise Lines International Association, Natasha Mytton-Mills from Airbnb and Sara Pastor from ADARA engaged in the industry debate on the roles and responsibilities of their sectors in archiving sustainable tourism development in Europe with a right balance between economic growth, environmental impact and social value.
Embracing the challenges ahead for the tourism industry, the spirit of cooperation was high on the day, with all attendees agreeing that further collaboration was necessary in order to manage sustainable tourism growth. Corroborating these views were several polls which were conducted throughout the day, with most participants feeling that destinations in Europe are ready to face these challenges, but a lot of work and cooperation is still necessary of all parties involved: policy makers, industry, destinations and residents.


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Two major agricultural biotechnology companies have decided to retreat from the European market. Monsanto announced it no longer plans to sell its MON810 corn, which is genetically modified to improve pest resistance, in France despite a French court ruling in November that overturned a 2008 government ban on its sale.
“Monsanto considers that favorable conditions for the sale of the MON810 in France in 2012 and beyond are not in place,” Monsanto said in a statement.
In a second move, BASF announced it would be pulling its biotechnology research headquarters out of Germany and moving it to Raleigh, N.C. This is considered a significant move since BASF is a European company with strong ties to the region. This move is BASF’s acknowledgement that GM plants are not popular in the European Union.
“We are convinced that plant biotechnology is a key technology for the 21st century,” Stefan Marcinowski, a board member of BASF in charge of plant biotechnology, said in a statement Jan. 19. “However, there is still a lack of acceptance for this technology in many parts of Europe—from the majority of consumers, farmers and politicians. Therefore, it does not make business sense to continue investing in products exclusively for cultivation in this market.”
Organic groups will likely consider the news as a victory against corporate agricultural giants and GMO companies. Despite some progress being made with some GM varieties getting individual member state approvals, these recent announcements show biotech companies may be ending their attempt to gain acceptance for GM food in Europe.